Pages

24 December 2011

PERFECT FISH PIE AND PASTRY DOUGH RECIPE - CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!

One of the secrets to a piecrust is to work with very cold butter. Cut the butter into cubes and freeze, at least 15 minutes, best over an hour.

Ingredients

·2½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling

·1 cup unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

·1 teaspoon salt

·1 teaspoon sugar

·6 to 8 Tbsp. of ice water

For the filling

·2 large carrots

·½ cup peas

·½ cup sweet corn

·3 tins of tuna fish in sunflower oil

·1 bulb of onions

·Ginger

·Thyme

·Curry

·Pepper

·1½ Knorr cube

·5 medium sized irish potatoes

Directions for making the pastry dough:

Butter

Mixed butter and flour

Dough formed

·Rapidly blend flour and butter together in a large mixing bowl, either with tips of fingers or with a pastry blender, until mixture is like very coarse meal.

·Dissolve salt and sugar in the iced water, blend into flour and butter with a rubber spatula, pressing mixture into a rough mass.

·Knead the dough mixture into the table top with the heel of the palm of your hand a few times. This will help flatten the butter into layers.

·Gather dough into a ball, divided into two parts and flour lightly, wrap in waxed paper and chill for 2 hours or overnight.

·Once refrigerated and time elapsed, allow to sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes in order to soften just enough to make rolling out a bit easier.

·Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface.

·As you roll out the dough, put on the oven at 250C or gas 5, and also check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. If necessary, add a few sprinkles of flour under the dough to keep the dough from sticking.

·Make sure the rolled dough is not too thick

·With the aid of a knife, cut in circle shapes and put in you fillings and cover

·Put in the pie in your foil wrapped baking pan (grease the pan with butter or olive oil)

·Put in the oven and reduce the oven to 175C

·While in the oven, beat 2 medium eggs and set aside – this is for glazing, to get that golden shiny pie.)

·After about 30 minutes, bring out the pie and coat with the egg using a brush. Put in back in the oven.

·After 10 minutes, repeat the coating and put back in the oven.

·Once it starts browning, just know the pie will be ready soon. So at your own satisfaction, turn off the gas and bring out the pie. Allow cooling down a bit, and then u can dig in.

NB. For those of us in the UK, you can save yourself the stress by going to Sainsbury and buying the already made shortcrust pastry. That’s what I buy, if I do have the strength to go through the long process. But I love doing the long process on special occasions, for that special home made taste.

Preparing the filling:

Peel the carrots and potatoes

In a small pot, cook the potatoes until done

Cut 2 of the cooked potatoes into cubes and set aside

Mash up the rest in a bowl and also set aside

In medium pot, empty the sunflower oil from the tuna and allow to heat.

Slice in the onions, reduce the heat and allow simmering for about a minute

Then add the carrot, the peas, and sweet corn

Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, and then add all the species

Continue frying for the next 5 minutes; add the tuna and the cubed potatoes stir and cover.